title: Helicobacter pylori infection in pediatric candidates for kidney transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic kidney failure was suggested to have a protective effect against Helicobacter pylori infection in adults. However, data about this effect in children is lacking. This study was designed to ascertain the prevalence, endoscopic findings, and histopathological features accompanying the Helicobacter pylori infection in children with end-stage renal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 117 children with end-stage renal disease aged 5 to 18 years that underwent routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy before kidney transplantation between 1998 and 2009. The specimens that were taken from the antrum were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Giemsa to detect Helicobacter pylori.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gastrointestinal symptoms were reported in 12% of the patients. Helicobacter pylori was detected in 24% of the children. The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was high in children with abnormal endoscopic findings (P = .02). There was no correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and gender, dialysis status, duration of dialysis, underlying diseases, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Helicobacter pylori infection had a significant correlation with histopathological features (P = .005), age older than 10 years (P = .003), and upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings (P = .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, Helicobacter pylori infection had a high prevalence in children with end-stage renal disease, especially in older ones. The majority of children with Helicobacter pylori infection were asymptomatic, while they had abnormal findings on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and chronic active gastritis features in histopathological assessment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. nakih@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nakysa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hooman
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehrazma
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Talachian
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otukesh
authors.forename: Shahrbanoo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakhaii
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D015995:Prevalence